Monday, September 5, 2011

In Walks a Tall Dark Stranger: Character Description Do's & Don'ts


It's common, when reading an amateur screenwriter's work to see the protagonist described using what I like to call the APB method. Here the author takes the idea of visual story telling a little to literally and feels the need to describe the protagonist solely as we would see him or her--to the point where we have a definite picture in our mind of the character and could even pick him or her out of a line-up, hence the All Points Bulletin.

While this might work in literature, where the movie is in our head, in a motion picture the movie is cast with real people, who are going to have a little more trouble changing their physical appearances to fit your APB (unless we're talking about Ron Pearlman). Not only that, but you don't want to write up a character description so specific that it is going to rule out a potential star like Leonardo DiCaprio or Angelina Jolie.

The challenge becomes striking a balance between the physical and the abstract, creating a character that has a definite physical presence and persona, but could be played by anyone. The common adage is that a character description has to serve as actor bait. To craft a character description that achieves this goal there are a few things to keep in mind:

Friday, August 19, 2011

Anatomy of Suspense: An essay on Anatomy of a Murder

A courtroom drama can be told from any number of perspectives and often in combination to give a more complete view of the case.  Where 12 Angry Men gives a look into the jury room, Anatomy of a Murder (playing at the Louisville Palace Aug. 26th at 8:00 P.M.) gives the audience a step-by-step recipe for how to defend a client who admits to the crime.  Anatomy of a Murder also gives the screenwriter a tutorial on how to build suspense.  Primarily, create conflict, provide opposition, increase the tension and maintain doubt up until the very end.
  
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) is a film from director Otto Preminger, screenwriter Wendell Mayes, and stars James Stewart as the defense attorney for a decorated soldier who admits to shooting a man. Michael Asimow, from UCLA Law School, called the film, “probably the finest pure trial movie ever made.” A big reason for that accuracy and its influence on future films is that it is based on a book written by a Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker, under the pseudonym Robert Traver. The film walks the line of truth and ethics and holds the distinction of being one of the first movies to grapple with the graphic nature of sex and rape.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

"Stay on the Road. Keep Clear of the Moors": Making the Conventional Unconventional


Horror movies, the good ones at least, are about more than what they seem. The surface story is a metaphor, usually for some social issue or some emotional aspect of human nature. David Kessler, the protagonist of John Landis’ screenplay An American Werewolf in London, is not just a man who changes into a wolf every full moon; he is a man struggling with mental illness and trying to maintain his grip on reality. He does not even change into a wolf until the second half of the second act (Landis 52-53). Up until that point he is in a hospital, trying to recover, physically and emotionally, from a brutal attack that killed his best friend. However, disturbing nightmares and visions of his dead friend cause him to question his sanity. Essentially, when he finally turns into a wolf, he is giving into his delusions and they become real and, ultimately, consume him.

Monday, August 15, 2011

On Walden Pond: A Writer Reflects


Although I am not a Louisville native (I came here for school and decided to stay), the city has both become my home and inspired me. I have spent time in local coffee shops with monikers like Quills, Heine Brothers, Highland Coffee, and the Java Brewing Co. keeping Louisville weird and crafting scenes to fill my screenplays. I must confess, I once took a meeting in a Starbucks, but I would have much preferred the warmth and quirkiness of a local joint. Though I do love my metro “grind houses”, some times the constant motion of Louisville living becomes to much for my already overburdened brain.

It's at these times when I need that essential man (and woman, I'm sure) need. No, not that need. I'm talking about solitude, like the kind Thoreau wrote about. Even though Emerson called solitude the “safeguard of mediocrity” I wouldn't be surprised if he wrote that line while looking out of a window in his summer cottage. No, Emerson was an advocate for, “a life of activity without bustle, a life of both power and repose” (Richardson and Moser 493). And, since I'm an Ohio boy, I retreat back to my homeland to enjoy my repose. Not to the rolling farmland and stunted brick buildings of my hometown in Northwestern Ohio, but to Southeastern Ohio's wild, unkempt Appalachian foothills—to my family's cabin.

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Subtext of Secrecy in: The Man Who Knew Too Much

When the subtext of secrecy works well in a film, it can create new opportunities to thicken the plot, advance the story, breathe life into a character, or add witty metaphors to the dialogue. Subtext is one of the least utilized skills in screenwriting. However, The Man Who Knew Too Much, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is a film that makes intelligent use of the device. What is subtext? It is the underlining meaning of words or actions.  Or in this case, it is the subjacent theme of sneakiness that flows and ebbs like turbulent waters through the course of this Hitchcock film.
In the early 1930’s Hitchcock worked with writer Charles Bennett on formulating a picture founded on the BULLDOG DRUMMOND narratives. Bulldog Drummond was a fictional British soldier who retired after the First World War. Since he was also wealthy, Drummond spent his time working as a private detective. However, when the deal for the Drummond narratives deflated, Hitchcock and Bennett kept the structure for the story, which included the kidnapping of an infant, intrigue, and spying. They reconfigured the tale, and the story later became the 1934 Hitchcock film, The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Advice from the Script Reader

If you’re reading this post, chances are you want to take your script from page to screen; you’ve sacrificed time, talent, and treasure to complete that draft, and now you’re ready to dazzle the world with your talent. You type “FADE TO BLACK.” Hit print. Bind your pages. Package them. And mail your script to the studio or the contest you believe might be interested. Now, the journey is underway. In your heart, you believe your script is the best version of itself because after you finished typing, you gave it to your Aunt or Uncle to read, and they loved it. However, would your screenwriting stand up to the scrutiny of THE SCRIPT READER?


I currently work in the independent film industry as a professional script reader, and have read my share of dramatic works over the years. Some good and others not so good.
Holding an MFA in screenwriting, I know from experience that facing the blank page is no simple chore.
Take my advice. Having a loving family member with little to no experience as a script reader analyze your masterpiece just can’t compare to having it scrutinized by an experienced professional—a person with a niche for craft elements who knows what producers are looking for in a spec script.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

"Fortune and Glory, Kid. Fortune and Glory" : Creating Dramatic Conflict, Part I


 Every good screenplay needs conflict, but how does one define conflict? At its most basic, conflict is two opposing forces. However, in drama, it is a little more clearly defined: Conflict occurs when a character wants something badly and is having trouble getting it. The "something" desired by the character is usually an abstract concept or emotion, known as the Dramatic Need and the "trouble" is known as the Obstacle(s), which can be either external or internal. That is, Obstacles (usually known as the antagonist) can be either another character; the setting itself, think Alive or Panic Room; or a defect in the protagonist's character, like Chief Martin Brody in Jaws (he's afraid of the water) or Bill Murray's character in What about Bob? (he's afraid of everything). Whatever the case, Obstacles are relatively easy to identify because they're barriers, which, by nature, are often tangible.

Dramatic Needs, on the other hand, are a little trickier to express. For instance, You may have a character who badly wants “acceptance," but what does that look like? Abstract concepts like this are difficult to convey to the audience. There are two ways around it, though. And if used in tandem, they can give your character an attainable goal and the audience a definite sense of resolution once that goal is achieved.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Tampering with Turning Points: The Structure of Annie Hall

Woody Allen’s Annie Hall is the story of a man dealing with life after a breakup with his girlfriend. Neurotic, pessimistic comedian Alvy Singer recalls the memories of his relationship with Annie Hall in an effort to find out what caused them to part ways. Alvy is a standup comedian who is unwilling to change, yet he expects everyone else to change. He is uncompromising. So much that he attempts to mold the women in his life into what he wants in a mate. Annie Hall is an aspiring singer who is constantly willing to broaden her horizons, either on her own or at the suggestion of others. The connection between these two polar opposites creates extreme conflict. Said conflict drives the story.

An unusual script, Annie Hall features a number of scenes where Alvy Singer speaks directly to the audience. Seamless and often confusing flashback scenes occur throughout the script. One particular scene is an animation sequence. However, despite its unusual aspects, Annie Hall follows the standard three act structure of storytelling that is often confusing because of the multiple turning points, particularly those of the second act.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Zoetrope Virtual Studio: Screenwriting Contest

The Zoetrope Virtual Studio: Screenwriting Contest early deadline has just passed. Unproduced screenwriters now have until Sept. 6 to polish up that final draft they've been working on and come up with the $50 necessary to enter the contest. The grand prize is $5000 plus agent and prodco consideration--not to mention having Francis Ford Coppola and the Zoetrope staff as your judges. Check out the link for rules and regulations.

Don't worry. If you win, you'll still retain full rights to your script. And they don't mind if you've submitted your screenplay to other contests, either. They don't, however, give any sort of coverage, so if you don't win, that's fifty bucks you'll never see again. But that's the nature of risk and reward, isn't it?

A Study in Visual Story Telling: Rear Window


Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, On the Waterfront, The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca: What do they all have in common? They're the top 5 films on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes list. Alfred Hictchock, however, has but one film on this list: Psycho, and it's not even in the top 50. Let's be honest, though. The quote, "A boy's best friend is his mother," is not the most memorable moment of the film.

No, with Hitchcock, the moments that we just can't shake are always visual, like Cary Grant being chased down in the middle of field by a rogue crop duster, or Janet Leigh being stabbed over and over again while in the shower, or a convalesced Jimmy Stewart spying on his neighbors with a telephoto lens.


And it makes sense. Hitchcock got his start in silent pictures. Dialogue in many of his films, especially Rear Window, often served the simple purpose of conveying to the audience what pictures alone could not. The screenplay for Rear Window, written by John Michael Hayes, is such a slave to this notion, that the first 4 pages have no dialogue whatsoever. And it is these first 4 pages that we will be focusing on because, without a single scrap of dialogue, Hitchcock and Hayes are able to convey theme, tone, and character.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Jimmy Stewart at the Palace


The Louisville Palace is in the midst of their 2011 Classic Movie Series, featuring a great list of Hollywood icon, Jimmy Stewart films. In the spirit of their series we're going to review the screenplays of a few of the films they've yet to show--and there's some good ones. Follow the links to check out the screenplays we've already reviewed: Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Anatomy of a Murder.

"I Like Your Nurse's Uniform, Guy": Max Fischer's Coming-of-Age


The term “coming-of-age” describes a type of story that focuses on the development of the main character or group of characters. These characters are usually young, yet on the cusp of adulthood. The coming-of-age story details an emotional journey a character must take in order to grow and mature towards adult hood.

Rushmore, a screenplay by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, tells the story of Max Fischer’s coming-of-age. Using Rushmore as an example, a screenwriter can see that the basic process of telling a coming-of-age story is this: establish an emotionally immature mindset, tear it down, then build a new, more mature mindset.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Discussion: How Many Acts Should a Screenplay Have?


Of course Syd Field says three. And his 3-act paradigm is the most widely accepted model for screenplay structure. And let's not forget Campbell's myth structure, which can be classified as having three acts. I often make the case for five, as do others. But still I must admit that the 5-act paradigm fits perfectly inside the 3-act one, it just breaks things down into smaller pieces.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Hearing Voices: The Art of Narration

It’s what most readily snags an audience’s attention. It instantly conveys the exact attitude of a film, faster even than music, cinematography or direction. It’s also what screenwriting guru Robert McKee calls one of the laziest tools at a writer’s disposal: the voice-over. By voice-over, I mean voice-over narration, not If you build it, he will come.



On page, it looks like this:


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Balancing Acts: Character Introductions in Children of Men

A masterful character introduction is one of the screenwriter’s most valuable tools.  Characters are the writer’s link to his audience, so their introductions must be vivid.  These introductions, also called character description, must create a mental picture of the character for the reader by detailing physical characteristics; however, the screenwriter must also give the reader some notion of the character’s internal emotional identity.  And he must do so with just a few lines of description.  In their script Children of Men, screenwriters Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton beautifully illustrate the balancing act that is character description because each introduction of a major character offers details of physicality and psychology using a mixture of language that is both abstract and concrete.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

"You Know Bob, We've Been Friends a Long Time...": Writing Exposition That Doesn't Bore


Every screenplay has it, which means every screenwriter has to know how to do it. Yet few do it well. We're talking about Exposition--revealing necessary plot information to the audience through images and dialogue.

The rule of thumb is to show, not tell, but films were synced with sound in the early twentieth century for a reason. So, you're going to have to rely on dialogue to get information across to your audience.

Now there are more theories on how to do this than one can shake the proverbial stick at. Whichever theory you adhere to, remember this--Drama is conflict. That means if at all possible deliver your exposition through some sort of conflict.

Let's see some examples of exposition being dealt with expertly...

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Free Workshop!

If you missed the deadline for this workshop, don't fret. There will be more opportunities to share your work in a creative environment with other knowledgeable screenwriters.

Hey, all you Louisvillians, The Louisville Metro Screenwriters are hosting an open screenwriting workshop on July 24th. If you have 5 to 10 pages of scripted material come see us at Spalding University.

The workshop will be a 4 hour session that includes table reads and constructive feedback (as well as coffee).
We only have a limited number of spots available, so shoot us an email if you would like further information.

Applicants will be selected on a first come, first served basis.

Hope to see you there.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Your Character Has Depth. He Has an Arc. Who Cares? Creating Emotional Impact with Your Writing

So you've finished your step outline or your draft and your protagonist has gone from hero to heel or schlub to mensch. It's an interesting journey to be sure, with highs and lows but that payoff you're looking for, commonly called the catharsis, is nowhere to be seen. You want to pull at your audience's heart strings, but you want to do it without using trickery--like killing a child or pretending to kill a child. What do you do?

Inaugural Post

Hello Screenwriting nation and welcome to Page2Screen: the blog that focuses on the business and craft of screenwriting. Be prepared for regular posts from our knowledgeable staff (all of us have MFA’s in screenwriting) that examine the ins and outs of the craft.
Our first article will be part of a regular feature by staffer Danniel Dean that focuses on “the classics”, films that hail from the oft overlooked heyday of Hollywood (we’re talking pre Spielberg).
So add us to your reading list and wait with bated breath.
You can also follow us on twitter at Page2Screen, where we’ll be regularly posting little nuggets of truth about the craft as well.
Remember, writers write.